Where some may see flat, static narratives, I see a spectrum of tonal gradations and realities. What I … - Toyin Odutola

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The absolute truth is that the 'I' is perfect and complete; the real 'I' is spiritual and can therefor never be less than perfect; it can never have any lack, limitation, or disease.

Toyin Odutola

Where some may see flat, static narratives, I see a spectrum of tonal gradations and realities. What I am creating is literally black portraiture with ballpoint pen ink. I'm looking for that in-between state in an individual where the overarching definition is lost. Skin as geography is the terrain I expand by emphasizing the specificity of blackness, where an individual’s subjectivity, various realities and experiences can be drawn onto the diverse topography of the epidermis. From there, the possibilities of portraying a fully-fledged person are endless.

Black, Creating, Narratives, Reality, Static

Same Author Quotes

I kept wanting to push my image as validity; I wanted to see my portrait on a wall and know it was okay.

Okay, Portraits, See, Validity, Wall

Being a black artist, the first thing people want to talk about is your blackness, the importance of your blackness, and your black presence.

Artist, Black, Blackness, People, Talk

It is hard to produce work in New York. You kind of have to center yourself - do some Zen meditation exercises and just focus. It is very distracting, and money, of course, is an issue.

Course, Exercise, Focus, Kind, Meditation, Money

The graphic style itself is influenced by a lot of very layered and detailed comics that I read as a kid, like Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue.

Kid, Kids, Read, Style, Vagabonds

I moved around a lot when I was a child; two of the houses I grew up in have totally disappeared. One was burnt in a riot, and the other was pulled down.

Children, Disappeared, House, Moved, Riot, Two